Sony NEX 6 Digital Camera Review

If you’re still asking yourself whether or not you should go mirrorless, check out last week’s post to find out why this trend is here to stay and if it’s the right answer for you.

The fact is that today you can wield as much creative control with a mirrorless camera as you can with a DSLR, in a smaller package and at a smaller price.

So the question becomes which one? Hopefully this Sony NEX 6 digital camera review will help you decide.

Here’s what I think

I haven’t reviewed every single mirrorless camera or every feature nor have I done any scientific tests (except on one lens I’ll get to later). I’m just telling you my thoughts on it, how I picked my camera, and what I think of it now that I’ve been using it for awhile.

It’s all about sensor size

For me choosing the right mirrorless camera comes down to sensor size. Cameras come with about a dozen different sensor sizes, but to simplify things lets consider five groups in order of size from smallest to largest:

tiny sensors you find in phone cameras

slightly larger sensors found in most point-and-shoots

micro four thirds found in some new mirrorless camera systems

APS-C found in a huge number of DSLR’s and a few mirrorless cameras (including both my Canon 7D and my Sony NEX6)

full frame, which is the same size as the 35mm film was, found in very expensive top of the line DSLR’s and a couple of mirrorless cameras.

This handy-dandy not very scientific graphic that I threw together demonstrates the sizes.

Understanding this makes the choices much easier. Obviously the best choice would be full frame. The full frame mirrorless cameras are:

the Leica M-E (18MP CCD sensor) for $5,450;

the Leica M (24MP CMOS sensor) for $6,950;

the new Sony A7 (24MP CMOS sensor) for $1,700.

By the way, these prices are for the body only.

You can see why there’s been so much fan fare over the new Sony A7! If you can afford it, it’s the obvious choice. But for many people, myself included, the $1,700 price tag is out of my range when there are still lenses to buy. Especially considering that I already have a perfectly good Canon 7D.

I ruled out the micro four thirds cameras because there are affordable cameras with larger sensors, so why bother.

That left the variety of mirrorless cameras with the APS sensors. I first looked at the Canon because all of my SLR’s have been Canons. It was called the EOS-M. It had terrible reviews and it was a total lemon. I think they stopped making them.

Out of the cameras that were left, I used my tried and tested technique for finding the best one for me. This is what I do: I hold it in my hand and see if it feels good. I look at how you access the settings and see if everything I need is easily accessible. That’s it.

That’s how I picked Sony over Fuji. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the Fuji’s, don’t get me wrong. They both have awesome image quality and the same sized sensors. I simply picked the one that felt good.

For the record, I did also pick up an Olympus even though it has a smaller sensor. I know a lot of people like them, but the Sony just felt better to me and that’s why I picked it. Not very scientific I know! I’m just telling you how I came to pick my camera because people always ask me that.

NEX6 vs. NEX7

Now, why the NEX6 over the NEX7? The key factor in my decision is that the NEX6 has 16 mega-pixels and the NEX7 has 24. Now you might think that 24 is better than 16 because more is better right? Well, I don’t think so.

Remember the sensor is the same size so that means that the mega pixels are smaller on the NEX7. The reviews I read confirmed my suspicion that the NEX7 would not perform as well in low light conditions. And I don’t mean hand-held photography at night with a high ISO kind of low light. I’m referring to the ISO100, on a tripod, long exposure low light photography that I love.

It also costs $890 versus $650 for the NEX6. It doesn’t make sense to me to pay 40% more for a camera that *might* have lower image quality. Maybe it doesn’t have lower image quality. But I would rather put that extra money into a lens than into a body that might not be as good. That’s my theory.

NEX 6 vs. NEX5

By the way, the NEX5 is also an awesome camera! I bought one for my husband at the same time I bought my NEX6 and he loves it. It is virtually identical to the NEX6 with the biggest difference being that it doesn’t have a viewfinder. It’s all LCD and it has touch screen focus. For me, the lack of viewfinder was a deal breaker, but if you’re moving up from a point-and-shoot and you like using the LCD, by all means get the NEX5.

The Results

Weight and Size

The biggest reason for switching to mirrorless is the unbelievable difference in weight and size between this camera and my Canon 7D. It is 3 times lighter and smaller!

For me, that is a massive difference because after having back surgery 15 years ago, I can only carry 20 pounds. With this camera I will be able to hike longer without getting back pain and I might even be able to take more lenses along.

Viewfinder

Because there is no mirror in the mirrorless cameras (duh) the viewfinder is electronic, not a mirror image. I read that a lot of people don’t like the electronic viewfinder so I was expecting that might be a problem. But it turns out that it is awesome! The image that you see through the electronic viewfinder is actually being read off the image sensor itself, so you can focus and preview it exactly as it will be shot. Cool!

You know what’s even more cool? When you review your images after the shot, you don’t have to look on the LCD. You can look through the viewfinder and it’s just like looking through a loupe!

I didn’t know about that ahead of time and discovering it was a happy accident.

Accessing the settings

At first I was a little worried about the menu system. All my previous cameras were Canons and you get used to how the menus work.

In particular the settings menu has a bazillion options! The menu goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on …. you get the idea. It’s a little hard to find what you’re looking for.

However, everything I really need in the field is easily accessible via buttons on the back of the camera including ISO, exposure compensation, shooting mode, focus point, focus mode etc.

Lenses

***A VERY IMPORTANT WARNING***
Do not buy the NEX6 with the 16-50 power zoom on it. It’s the stupidest lens ever, I hated it. I bought the kit like that to begin with and I took it back because the lens is so bad. I did a relatively scientific test on it and found that less than half of my images were in focus. I admit I didn’t buy it from my reputable local camera shop like I should have and that was a mistake.

I thought maybe I just got a bad lens. But when I went to my reputable local camera shop like I should have in the first place I found out that they are all like that. They told me that every single one they sold to a professional photographer with that lens on it came back to them so now they always recommend buying the body only.

I currently have the 18-55mm lens (it’s the one that comes with both the NEX5 and the NEX7) and the 55-210mm and both are excellent lenses. The next one on my wish list is the 10-18mm, but it’s expensive, ouch!

Panorama

I just have to mention the very cool panorama feature. It’s just like it works on one of those phone apps where you simply hold the camera in front of you and start moving it around in a circle while it takes a whole whack of photos and puts them together for you in-camera. It doesn’t work well in extreme low light, but on an average day it works just great! No more stitching in photoshop!

Swiveling LCD

Totally awesome! You can swivel the LCD up so you can hold your camera close to the ground and see what’s happening without having to lie on your stomach. It swivels down too so you can hold the camera way over your head and still see what’s in the viewfinder.

Frames per second

10!! 10!!!!! That’s even better than my 7D.

The cons

Ok, there has to be some cons right? Here’s what they are:

You can’t use the 2 second timer in conjunction with auto bracketing. I know!! Come on Sony what’s with that? So since I like to use the 2 second time to prevent hand shake on my low light long exposures, I do the bracketing manually.

The battery life is very short. Good thing the batteries are small and light. I just carry three of them and I’m good.

It’s not great at focussing in low light. But really what camera is?

Oddly I discovered that for some reason my hand shake is worse with the little camera than with the big camera! I don’t know if the big camera just grounds me more or what. The Canon 7D certainly fits my hand better. With the NEX I can see my hands shaking trying to keep the little camera still. The result is that my minimum shutter speed for hand-holding is a little higher with then NEX that it is with my 7D.

There are not very many lenses available in comparison with a DSLR. But I’m sure that will change.

In Conclusion

I absolutely recommend the Sony NEX6. Not only does it have all these great features in a lightweight package, but it’s so fun to use!

Here are some images I have made with it so far so you can see the image quality in a variety of situations. You can click any of the images to view larger versions.

I really enjoyed your review of the Sony NEX6, Anne! And I concur with you! I have the NEX7, along with the 10-18, 18-200, and the Zeiss 24. All of these lenses are amazing! My very favorite is the 10-18. I also have the Canon 70D and 6D, but I find I use my Sony more because it’s so light and easy to carry.

I might also mention I recently purchased the Sony RX100 MKII. Wow! The image quality is tremendous, and it’s pocketable!

Your sample images from you NEX6 are great. My favorite is the desert scene because I love the desert.

Thank you very much Ken. I appreciate your input about the lenses. I have been thinking about that 10-18. I should have bought it over Christmas when it was $100 cheaper! If I had known it would jump in price I would have. Drat! Now I’m thinking about renting it first to make sure I like it enough to justify the expense. But everyone says they love that lens.

Anne,
You should get the 10-18F4 lens it is truly stunning for the cost/size. I have the lens and use it on my NEX7 and now also on my A7R. Interestingly even though the lens is a crop lens it has quite a large image circle and at 15mm covers the full sensor on the A7R (see my shots in Mar lesson on photo forte.

My fav lens for the Sony is the Zeiss 24 f1.8 now that is expensive but the quality of the images is just awesome.

Thank you so much for this review. It is very useful and revealing. The quality of the photos say a lot for the camera. My one question about the lenses is that they appear to be slower than lenses one can find for the Canon 7D for instance. Do you find this to be a limitation as compared with using your 7D?

Hi Harvey, not really because I usually like to make photos of grand vistas and so I want to use a small aperture anyway. They do make faster lenses, so I wouldn’t consider it a limitation. Thanks for your comments!

No!!! Pffft 🙂 I always process my images. I personally think that not processing is just crazy talk haha. I don’t usually do anything too drastic, although occassionally I like to do HDR. Most of these photos had minimal adjustments, except the desert scenes which are HDR.

Thank you so much for sharing your thought process, good to read a review of how a “working” photographer chooses a camera.

I have been the owner of this camera for a few days and went through an almost identical process and made the same decision.
My local camera store had a special deal, the NEX-6 with the 16-50 power zoom, 55-210 and 50 mm f1.8 for $100 more than the body only price.

Like you I had read that the little power zoom was awful so I ordered the Zeiss 16-70 f4 (ouch). The link below is to a photo I took of our Australian Sturt’s Desert Pea with this lens, one of a few where it mostly came together. Lens distortion corrected and converted to jpg in LR5 no other adjustments.
My biggest issue is that it seems to be inconsistent in focus accuracy with a lot of misses compared to the other two lenses.

What an interesting flower, and a very nice image! Ouch, that does seem like a lot of money to pay for a lens with inconsistent focus. That’s why I ditched the power zoom. I suggest trying to do a controlled test photographing the same thing over and over and seeing how often the focus is off. The lens could be faulty. I’ve been thinking about trying that 50mm 1.8. Too bad it isn’t nearly as inexpensive as the ones for DSLR’s though! Thank you for your visit and comments Gordon.

My apology, so sorry for the confusion my post has caused.
What I meant to write was… The photo in the link was taken with the 16-50 power zoom not the Zeiss…
Still waiting for delivery of the Zeiss 16-70 f4.
I will have the opportunity to test it in the camera store before handing over the cash.
I really must read more carefully before posting.
So glad your writing has greater clarity than mine.

Great review Anne, and the images you included are wonderful. While I’m not about to replace my DSLR anytime soon (if ever), I really like the graphic you included of the sensor sizes – this is very helpful and the clearest explanation I’ve seen of how they differ.

Thanks for the review Anne, it’s just the information I needed to make a decision. The photos are beautiful and make me want to pack up and head out, just don’t think we could get through the foot of snow now pulling the RV. I’ll be checking one of these out at the camera store soon.

Hi Anne another great review…I was wondering if you would consider getting the adapter so that you could if you so chose to use your existing Cannon lens with it. I know the reason for this camera is weight issue but I’m sure you have some great lenses for your other camera.

Hi Bob! In short, no. I do have some great lenses for my Canon and when I want to use them I just use the Canon! I know other people do this, but it doesn’t make sense to me. Plus the adaptor that communicates (the one that doesn’t require manual focus) costs $400. So if I’m in a situation where I need the big lens, I bring out the big camera 🙂

Reading your review I felt that I might have written it myself except for the 16-55 power zoom. I have not seen the focus problem in the couple thousand shots I have taken with it. Perhaps there were some quality control problems. The 18-55 would not be as good for me since the NEX-6 with the 16-50 barely fits in my coat pocket, I don’t think the 18-55 would. Still, the Zeiss 16-70 f/4 would be tempting if I could afford it — along with a new coat with bigger pockets!

Camera shake always increases with lighter cameras. It’s a simple matter of inertia. Small motions don’t do much to your 7D since it’s more massive, but they will cause lighter cameras to move more easily.

Hi Dennis, what you say about camera shake makes sense. I couldn’t understand why that was happening so thanks for sharing that. I’m glad your power zoom is working for you and yes you are quite correct that the camera with the 18-55 on it is not as pocketable. But I find that since the camera is so lightweight, carrying it on a strap isn’t nearly as uncomfortable as carrying a big camera on a strap is, so that is another option. Thanks for your visit and comments!

Thank you Annie for the excellent review. You pinpointed the exact reason I am not moving from my 5d MkIII to a mirrorless camera at this time. It’s the lack of control that Sony imposes on its users. Why wouldn’t it have a 2 second self timer OR a remote shutter release? Even if it were bluetooth, it would be so much better. And we realize that it’s not like it would cost Sony more money to add it, it’s just software!

None the less, the image quality from the Sony sensors are Incredible and your beautiful images prove it. For those who don’t need the long exposure bracketing, I really do agree this is an incredible camera. And for the price, nothing comes close.

As an RV’er I just envy your lifestyle and wish I had the time and “proper” life situation to be able to do what you both have accomplished. I can’t say enough about living your dream and you guys are doing it!

Hi Mitch, no no, it has a 2 second timer! You just can’t use at the same time as auto-bracketing. Lack of a 2 second timer would totally be a deal breaker for me too!! You just can’t do 2 second timer and then click, click, click. It’s 2 seconds, click, adjust, 2 seconds, click, adjust, 2 seconds, click. A bit of a hassle but it’s a workaround.

Thank you very much for your kind comments about our RVing lifestyle. I hope it works out that you can do it in your future. I highly recommend it!

Excellent review, Anne. You’ve sold the camera to me. I need a camera with a viewfinder. My Canon G10, that I use for a lot of my imaging while skiing has a viewfinder too. I couldn’t manage without one in the bright light I encounter at altitude.

Hi Andy, good, I’m glad you found the review helpful. I couldn’t live without a viewfinder either, although at those times when I want to hold the camera next to the ground I’m sure glad it has that rotating LCD so I don’t have to look through the viewfinder! It’s nice to have options 🙂

Great review, Anne. I jumped the gun and bought a NEX-6 several weeks ago. I was somewhat disconcerted by your review of the 16-50 zoom lens. The reviews I’d read rated the 16-50 as better than the 18-55 – no mention of focussing issues. So I looked back through the images I’d already taken and couldn’t detect any real issues. The only out-of-focus ones were when I’d set continuous AF – but I’ve put this down to user error for now!

I decided to test out my lens, when we had a days break in the 6 weeks of almost continual rain here in the UK, and still could not detect a problem. I tried a range of apertures at different zoom settings, using the DMF setting. There was no noticeable difference between the autofocus only images and those that I manually fine-tuned. My only other caveat, is that I’ve not tried this in low-light.

Overall, I’ve been delighted with my purchase, which also included the 55-210 zoom.

I’m glad to hear your power zoom is working out for you. It could be the low light thing because I almost always photograph in low light, so if it doesn’t perform well in that situation it doesn’t work for me. I was also using AF not DMF. Thanks for contributing your findings Jennifer, much appreciated.

Great review! It’s really refreshing to hear it as it is from someone like you – thanks so much. Since purchasing my NEX5 10 months ago I’m addicted! Light, compact and with amazing results. I have the 16-50 zoom which I have had no problems with at all. Only the occasional photo is slightly out of focus and I put that down to operator error!

My only complaint with the NEX5 is the LCD viewing screen in bright sunlight – many times I can’t see a thing. So I’m thinking of upgrading to a 6 with a view finder

I have purchased a Sigma 30mm 2.4 prime lens which works like a dream. The other plus is for my old Minolta lenses fit with the use of an adapter

I’m considering purchasing a longer zoom. What’s your thoughts on the cheaper Sony 55-210 lens? Or would you think another lens may result in better quality photos? Appreciate your advice

Hi Stephen, I believe you can buy an electronic viewfinder for the NEX5. That might be worth looking in to. The lack of viewfinder on the 5 was a deal breaker for me. The viewfinder on the 6 is awesome. I have the 55-210 lens and I’ve made some excellent photos with it. It is very sharp, I think you will like it. There are not a lot of choices in the telephoto area right now, but I’m happy with the 55-210. Thanks for your visit and comments.

I would be interested in your thoughts on the soon-to-be-released Nikon V3…..at least a specs comparison since the V3 will not be available for a few weeks. I like the ability to use the Nikon lenses I already have. I like the GPS, even though is optional; I’m not sure this is available with the Sony. Pics on the trail and on the water are nice to pinpoint with GPS. I am not yet sophisticated enough to read the specs and pick out the high points. My eyes glaze over with the trivia.
Thanks.

Hi Gerald, well I cannot really offer an educated opinion since I have never ever used a Nikon, let alone this specific Nikon. But you might be interested in this review – it’s compares the specs for the two cameras and puts things in clear language. http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-1-V3-vs-Sony-Alpha-NEX-6 I hope that helps.

What a great review-I purchased my NEX 6 for a trip last year, getting back into photography after many years. I thought it was just the learning curve with the inconsistent focus with the power zoom-I am relieved to hear a professional comment about it! I will start looking into the other lenses you mentioned. Other than that i love my Nex 6 for all of the reasons stated before, especially a (new) beginner that is adjusting to all the tech stuff associated with photos and processing. Info overload! Thanks for clear, knowledgable reviews and tips-Love them!

Receiving your photos, information, updates on locations are always a terrific treat. I’m very appreciative of your NEX 6 review. A brief story. I had actually just purchased the NEX 6 and the 16-70 Zeiss and 24 to take with me to shoot Zion Nat’l Park a month ago. Long story short, I suffered an injury just 30 min. before leaving for the airport and was unable to spend the long planned next 4 days in Zion. Bummer and a half. I was so looking forward to comparing results while shooting in Zion with the Nikon full frame gear. Would have been first shoot with mirror-less camera. I’ve actually been considering the a7R down the road.
Can’t wait to hear about your experience in Zion. I hope to return there next November and possibly experience 1 or 2 other parks in southern Utah. Would love to meet you and your husband some time on one of your locations. Always enjoy your work. I’ll continue to pray for accommodating weather, good health and of course, a blessed marriage. Have a blessed trip.

Hi Ken, unfortunately, I was sick almost the whole time we were in Zion. At least I wasn’t injured, I hope you recovered quickly. It sucks to miss such an amazing opportunity, but we will go again next year. I hope our paths cross at some point, it would be great to meet up. Thanks for your visit and comments!

Good information. I have been considering getting a mirrorless camera for all the reasons you list. I note that it has been a couple of years since this initial post. Are you still using the NEX6 or have you moved to an updated version? Any additional practical experience with mirrorless models?

Hi Ken, I am still using the NEX6 and I have also purchased the newer version, the A6000. Now the A6300 is the newest version. I purchased the A6000 for my trip to Iceland last fall because I needed two camera bodies, but I use them both. I tend to switch cameras rather than switching lenses when possible because it’s so much faster and there’s nothing wrong with the NEX6. I love the mirrorless system. Now I only use my DSLR for wildlife photography so I can use my big 400mm lens. Thanks for your visit and comments!

I’ve used my NEX6 with the Sony 55-210 for several years and would now like to add something longer for birds/wildlife. The 70-300 looks like a good option. What do you think–have you used that lens or is there another you prefer? Thank you for your wonderful blog and educational materials!!!!

Hi Betty, yes, if I wanted a longer lens for that camera I would get the 70-300. They also make a 100-400 that came out recently, but it is $2500!! Ouch!! This is why I still use a Canon DSLR system for wildlife photography since I already own the long lenses. Thanks for your question.

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I’m Anne. This is my new life.

I traded in a traditional career for a new life as an outdoor photographer and writer. I live in an RV and travel around North America photographing beautiful places. I write about travel, photography, and how changing your life is not as scary as it seems. Read More…

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